I was a little hesitant to purchase this shoe rack because there were so many negative reviews. I purchased the 5 tier and put them together pretty easily. But the 3 tier set was more difficult. The holes weren't big enough for the poles and one pole wasn't long enough. The 3 tier rack probably comes from a different factory.  After switching the poles around several times I did get it to work. I just need to be careful with what I put on it.